Actor Ben Affleck has revealed that he has completed treatment for alcohol addiction – and, in a public statement, thanked his “co-parent” Jennifer Garner for supporting him through rehab.

Taking to Facebook, he writes: “I have completed treatment for alcohol addiction; something I've dealt with in the past and will continue to confront.

“I want to live life to the fullest and be the best father I can be. I want my kids to know there is no shame in getting help when you need it, and to be a source of strength for anyone out there who needs help but is afraid to take the first step.”

Affleck adds: “I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen [Jennifer Garner], who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do.

“This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery.”

The actor and writer – who stepped down from his Batman directing duties earlier this year – has sought help for alcohol abuse before.

In 2001, his publicist released a statement confirming that the Oscar-winning actor had checked into a treatment facility, which read: “Ben is a self-aware and smart man who has decided that a fuller life awaits him without alcohol.

“He has chosen to seek out professional assistance, and is committed to travelling a healthier road with the support of family, friends and fans.”

Affleck and Garner – who formally announced their intention to divorce in June 2015 – share three children, Violet, 11, Seraphina, eight, and Samuel, four.

They have remained good friends since then, taking several family holidays together. And, just a few weeks ago, Garner dismissed rumours that Affleck’s relationship with their children’s nanny had led to their split, telling Vanity Fair: “We had been separated for months before I ever heard about the nanny. She had nothing to do with our decision to divorce. She was not a part of the equation.

“Bad judgment? Yes. It’s not great for your kids for [a nanny] to disappear from their lives.”

“I didn’t marry the big fat movie star; I married him”

Garner went on to call Affleck the “most brilliant person in any room” and “the love of [her] life.”

“I didn’t marry the big fat movie star; I married him,” she said. “And I would go back and remake that decision. I ran down the beach to him, and I would again.”

And though Garner takes away happy memories from the marriage, she also recalled what it was like when Affleck wasn’t emotionally present.

“He’s just a complicated guy,” she told the magazine. “I always say, ‘When his sun shines on you, you feel it.’ But when the sun is shining elsewhere, it’s cold. He can cast quite a shadow.”